It is a type of car insurance that adds other types of coverage that protect the insured person to the guarantees that third-party insurance usually offers (civil liability, legal defense service, claim for damages, driver accidents, or travel assistance). in case of practically any kind of eventuality.
Thus, the insurance takes care of the damage that our vehicle may suffer in most cases. This makes comprehensive car insurance a more complete product.
If you want more information, in this other post we explain the difference between third-party insurance and all risk.
How does this type of car insurance work?
with franchise
The insured must cover part of the expenses derived from a claim or a repair -in the amount established in the insurance policy-, while the other part is covered by the insurance product policy. The part that covers the insured person is called a deductible.
Without franchise
The policy covers all the expenses covered by the coverage. Obviously, the cost of the premiums is higher than that of car insurance with a franchise.
What does comprehensive insurance cover?
The million-dollar question is what comprehensive car insurance should cover, or better yet, what comprehensive insurance covers: a wide range of guarantees beyond the basic ones (civil liability, personal injury, legal defense, driver accidents). or travel assistance), taking responsibility for both the damages to third parties and their own.
This includes the extension of civil liability, personal injury, and service to third parties, travel assistance, mechanical guarantee, glass breakage, damage to the car due to collision with animals, theft, and fire, as well as a total loss for various causes.
In addition, the most complete products can offer numerous additional coverages: second medical opinion, compensation for hospitalization, natural phenomena, replacement vehicle, withdrawal of license, compensation for vehicle stoppage…
In general, it is very complete insurance, although not all insurers offer the same guarantees in their all-risk policies.
Coverages not usually included
Although it seems obvious what comprehensive car insurance covers, it is not really so, as there are many exceptions.
Beyond the exclusions of each particular coverage, the insurer will not be responsible for damages caused by the driver’s or the occupants of the vehicle’s willful misconduct, or if the insured drives drunk or drugged – in these cases the company would indemnify, where appropriate, to the injured party and would affect the driver.
Nor if the car is driven by a person without a driver’s license, if the use of the vehicle is illegitimate, if it is in poor condition or does not comply with the regulations, or if the driver has committed a crime of omission of the duty of assistance. And we don’t even talk about whether an insurance fraud attempt has been discovered.
Damage due to extreme external factors (war, acts of terrorism or any armed conflict, nuclear disasters, pollution) is also excluded; claims arising from participation in shows, races, or performance of certain tasks; and damage caused to non-fixed elements and accessories of the vehicle or to the objects being transported, which will not be covered by the insurance in 99.99% of cases.
When is it advisable to take out comprehensive insurance?
If we only think about the price of the premium, it is not advisable to take out comprehensive insurance against another type of car insurance.
But there are many other considerations to take into account, which reduce or increase both personal and vehicle danger: how often we drive; our expertise and experience behind the wheel; if we have a garage, which allows the car to be kept in better condition; the characteristics of the roads on which we usually travel and their usual traffic…
A fundamental concept must also be highlighted when deciding between third-party insurance and multi-risk insurance: the vending value l, which is the sale value of a vehicle just before an accident occurs, and which is substantially reduced after the third-year-old.
In cases of total loss and loss of the car, the insurer will only compensate the client for this value; For this reason, it is more convenient to insure all risks for new or semi-new vehicles than for older ones.
Other frequently asked questions about comprehensive insurance
What does comprehensive insurance with the excess cover?
The all-risk coverage includes a wide variety of guarantees that range from damages to third parties to your own, through additional coverage. We remember, yes, that generally, the insured must cover part of the cost of each repair that is carried out or loss that occurs.
How much is comprehensive insurance worth?
They are the most expensive, but also the ones that offer the most protection to the insured and provide the most coverage. In any case, the price of insurance with excess does not have to differ much from that of a complete third party; those without a franchise require a higher outlay.
What is better, all risk with a franchise or without a franchise?
The best comprehensive insurance? It depends on the point of view and the personal and economic situation of each person, the characteristics of their vehicle, and a thousand other conditions. There are no better or worse types of insurance, but more or less appropriate for each case.
